Cable Car
by pezjunkie13
Summary: Steve thought that after joining the Avengers he'd have a sense of purpose again. Yet he continues to struggle with what his role should be in the new world he woke up in. When S.H.I.E.L.D. attempts to educate him to bring him up to speed, they get more than they bargained for. Will Nick Fury finally be able to court Steve? Or will Steve's tutor help him get his life back?
1. Chapter 1

_This story was inspired in part by the deleted Steve Rogers scenes in The Avengers. The idea of Steve being aimless, and the ramifications of losing everything you once knew. I was also inspired by a former teacher of mine, who Steve's tutor, Dr. Roberta Harrison is partially based on. He encouraged and inspired me in ways that I'll always be grateful for. I hope everyone has a teacher like him and Dr. Roberta Harrison in their past/present. I was also encouraged by a fellow Avengers writer My2BrownEyes, who writes Steve wonderfully, so thank you._

_There will be appearances of other Avengers and Marvel characters in later chapters, but not all of them. So keep an eye out. Any words of advice and constructive criticism through reviews and/or PMs are always most welcome. _

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**Cable Car**

Steve Rogers was sitting down at his dining room table, in his Brooklyn apartment courtesy of S.H.I.E.L.D. It seemed silly, having a dining room table large enough for a family. It was just him, it was only him. Steve pushed the thought from his mind.

Initially he had been happy to find himself back in Brooklyn at least, it would be something familiar. However, after one day in his old neighbourhood it became obvious that it was anything but. His old neighbourhood had become gentrified, and he no longer fit into it. Once again, Steve did not have a place.

The only thing that Steve was a part of was the Avengers. After the attack on New York, he had managed to acquire some lifelines. The other members of the Avengers had become trusted and respected team members. A camaraderie Steve hadn't felt since the military, with his men: Dugan, Jones, Falsworth, Morita, and Bucky. Though what he had with the Avengers hadn't come quite so easily as it had with his military men. But they were his friends now. Not that they could ever replace his men. But the Avengers certainly made him feel less alone.

"_Less isolated…"_

Until recently anyway. Dr. Banner had gone back into hiding and was supposedly off the grid, though Steve knew that S.H.I.E.L.D. would be tracking his whereabouts. Stark had returned to work and was rebuilding his tower after Loki and his army had attacked it. Thor had returned to Asgard with Loki immediately after the battle.

"_Well… after the shawarma."_ Steve smiles to himself just thinking of the memory. He'd never been so happy to eat a meal since the scarcity of regular meals during the Depression.

Steve had no idea where Hawkeye or the Black Widow had gone, though he supposed that was the point, and so he was alone again. He was left to his own devices, and fell into a typical routine for himself. He would wake up with the sun every morning. He'd then leave for a morning run, because he could avoid more people in the early hours. He'd return home after an hour and shower. He'd make himself breakfast, and then read over S.H.I.E.L.D. files that had been declassified for him. Nick Fury was still trying to officially court him, but Steve had not been able to bring himself to make a firm commitment outside of his participation in the Avengers initiative. He would then try to have lunch outside of the apartment, in an admittedly half-hearted attempt in exploring the city he no longer knew.

Today he'd already done all those things. Sometimes he'd wander into a different and unexplored part of the city and sketch some scenery or architecture, but it had started to rain today. So now he was home, sitting at his dining room table, alone, again.

_Knockknockknock_

Only one person ever came to visit him. Steve pushed himself away from the table and stood up. As he was opening the door to his apartment he greeted the only man he knew would be behind it: Nick Fury.

"Hello Sir," Steve said while stepping aside to let Fury in.

"Hello Captain," Fury replied stepping into the unit.

Steve would normally offer to take his coat or offer him something to drink, but he knew Fury would not accept either offer. Fury never bothered to telephone him, or send someone else in his place. He still wanted him to become an active participant in S.H.I.E.L.D. and until that happened he felt the need to always appear in person.

"So, what brings you here Sir?" Steve asks. He had intended to sound polite, but it came out more as exasperated.

"I'm here because something needs to be done about your situation. As you know, we've been keeping an eye on you. It's very clear that you're not adjusting well. We wanted to give you time to adjust on your own, at your own pace, but it has been over a year now since you've woken up. I'm here because even though you do not officially work for S.H.I.E.L.D. yet, I cannot allow this to keep going the way it is."

"Sir, with all due respect, I am really not up for a mission. Can't you send in Stark?" Steve responded.

"Captain you misunderstand. I'm not here for your help. I'm here to help you." Fury replied.

"I don't need your help, I am managing perfectly fine on my own." Steve replied a little bit too quickly.

"With all due respect," Fury repeated at him, "I don't think that you are. How do you expect to catch up on 70 years alone and without context? I've seen you Captain. You wander New York aimlessly until the Avengers are needed to assemble. You're drifting Captain, and I can't allow that to happen."

"_Of course not… you want me as a part of S.H.I.E.L.D… you can't allow me to become useless…"_ Steve knew that 'help' from S.H.I.E.L.D. was often laced with an ulterior motive. S.H.I.E.L.D. did a lot of good things, but they often did not do those things out of good of their heart. If nothing was to gain, S.H.I.E.L.D. didn't bother.

Steve pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. He was trying desperately to think of the most polite way to tell Fury to leave him alone. But if you have nothing nice to say…

"S.H.I.E.L.D. has hired someone to help you. They have no previous affiliation with us, and therefore has no S.H.I.E.L.D agenda, just simply to educate you, to help get you up to speed. That way when you do accept our offer, you'll be prepared," Fury stated.

"Educate? Sir, I don't need—"'

"Captain do you know the significance of the date November 22nd 1963?" Fury interrupted.

Steve's mouth sat open, unable to come up with an answer. So Fury continued.

"What can you tell me about the Cuban Missile Crisis? Who is Ronald Reagan? Why was there a wall in Berl—"

"Alright! Enough! I get your point…" Steve acknowledged.

Okay so maybe his History was rusty… Everything he had ever known was gone, or rather everyone. Looking back just didn't seem to make sense. Looking back hurt.

"_Looking back just reminds me of what I don't have."_

"Do you accept this offer then?" Fury asked.

"What exactly are you offering?" Steve inquired.

"Think of it as a personal tutor rather than a formal education. I don't think you're ready to be enrolled in any College courses. What I am offering is a qualified educator to tutor you and allow you catch up to the rest of us. At the very least, it'll get you out of your routine." Fury answered.

"Can I think about it?" Steve requested.

Fury turned and headed back to the door. As he opened it to leave he turned to Steve, "S.H.I.E.L.D. Central 0900 hours Captain."

With that he left.

"_Well then… I suppose that's that." _Steve mused.

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_If you DID like the chapter please review/follow, if you DIDN'T like the chapter please review/follow. The next few chapters will be longer, I promise. So until then, until then._


	2. Chapter 2

**Cable Car**

Steve was riding the elevator up the main clearance level of S.H.I.E.L.D. Central with increasing apprehensive the closer he got. This idea seemed so strange to him. He hadn't been in school in a very long time, and even when he had been it wasn't taken terribly seriously. As a kid he had bigger things to be concerned with during the Depression years. Steve exited the elevator when it finally arrived, and walked to the main reception.

"Good morning ma'am," Steve greeted.

"Ah, Captain Rogers sir, good morning. Here is your temporary clearance pass. It will remain activated for as long as you're participatory in the program. It will give you access to the 10th floor, which is the Research Services department for S.H.I.E.L.D. I'll just need your signature and initials on this document for security purposes. Feel free to take your time to read it over." The receptionist explained.

Steve nodded at the woman and looked over the document. It was all relatively straightforward information. Basically just stating that anything Steve saw or heard about while at S.H.I.E.L.D. was considered classified and he'd be in a lot of trouble if he were to ever repeat any of it. However, it had a small clause about information he acquired through his academic endeavours, stating that information was not within the privacy agreement.

"_Well that would defeat the purpose now wouldn't it…?"_ Steve mused as he signed the document.

Steve handed the document back to the woman, and retrieved his security pass. It had his official S.H.I.E.L.D. photo on it with CAPTAIN STEVE ROGERS written underneath it. He clipped it onto his belt and turned back to the elevator.

"Oh, Captain Rogers! When you get to Research Services, take a left. You'll be expected in the library." She called out after him.

"Thank you ma'am. Have a good day." Steve smiled at her and went back into the elevator, taking it up to the 10th floor.

His pass let him through the secured opaque glass doors, and he noticed how different Research Services was from the rest of S.H.I.E.L.D. He was used to a lot of people always running around like they were already late for something. This seemed more relaxed, like a normal office space. Steve went left and began looking for the library. He came across another set of opaque glass doors with Research Services Library inscribed on them, and once again used his security pass to gain entrance.

"_Now this is more familiar,"_ Steve thought.

It was as if S.H.I.E.L.D. had used an entirely different architect and designer for this part of the building, or that it had been left over from whoever owned the building previously. Nothing was in the usual matte grey scale, and not everything was constructed in metal. The library was not entirely huge, but big enough to fit one row of ten stacks on either side, with five work desks down the middle. Everything from the stacks to the desks was made from what Steve guessed was mahogany. Each desk had two sets of the green classic bankers desk lamps, which was good because the library had no windows.

"First time here?"

Steve's attention was drawn to a man on his right, sitting down at the rather small circulation desk. He's an older fellow, old enough to be his father.

"_Or grandson, depending on how you count…"_ Steve thought.

"Yes sir, I'm expected here. I'm Captain Steve Rogers," Steve replied.

The librarian stood and extended his hand out to Steve, which he immediately shook.

"Of course Captain, I've heard of you. It's great to meet you; I'm Iverson Hughes the head librarian here at Research Services. Feel free to come and go as you please. Circulation isn't always open, but you can use this space whenever you like."

"Thank you very much Mr. Hughes," Steve said.

"No need for formality here, just call me Iverson," He replied.

Steve nodded and made his way over to the third desk, situated in the middle of the room. The two desks furthest away were already occupied, and being too close to the entrance could be distracting. Steve removed his brown leather jacket, and slung it over the back of his chair. He took a seat and pulled out his sketchbook. He decided to draw the green classic bankers desk lamp in front of him while he waited. It was only 8:48am, so he was technically still early.

Apparently he wasn't far away enough because he heard someone come into the library.

_"Or maybe they're just loud…"_ Steve thought as he looked in the direction of the loud intrusion.

Steve saw a very lithe woman with very short hair enter the library, carrying a tray with three travel coffees.

"Dr. Harrison! Good morning!" Iverson greeted the woman.

"Good morning Mr. Hughes, I remembered your coffee this morning! Does this mean that we're square with the late fees?" She inquired.

"Yes, we are even now. Just don't do it again, you should know better!" Iverson scolded her playfully.

"Yes yes I know: I am terrible! But I keep you in hot caffeinated beverages, so I can't be all bad," She called back to him as she walked past the circulation desk.

"And it's Iverson!" He called after her.

She waved her free hand in the air as an acknowledgement, but was busy walking directly toward Steve. She had a wide smile on her face as she extended her hand to him.

"Hello Captain Rogers, I'm Dr. Harrison your tutor." She greeted.

Steve sat there for a moment just sort of staring at her before he stood up and shook her hand, almost forgetting his manners.

"Nice to meet you ma'am, and please call me Steve." He replied.

"Oh, please no ma'am business. I'm either Dr. Harrison or Roberta, whichever you're more comfortable with," Roberta replied.

Steve wasn't quite sure what he was more comfortable with. This whole situation was odd to him. So instead he simply smiled back at her, and she took that as a sufficient response because she took a seat and began unpacking her things from her dark brown satchel. Once she had her belongings scattered across the desk, she looked back up at Steve who was still standing.

"…Is something the matter Steve?" She inquired.

Steve finally realized how awkward he was behaving and sat back down.

"No Dr. Harrison I just uh, I wasn't expecting a woman. Not that there's anything wrong with being taught by a woman. I just—"

"Oh don't worry about it. Sadly Steve even in the 2000s some people are still surprised that a young woman could have a doctorate. So we'll temporarily excuse you, since you've got about 70 years give or take to catch up on things." Roberta interrupted.

While seemingly quite friendly, Steve knew not to underestimate her. She was direct and vocal, and appeared very professional particularly in comparison to himself. She was dressed quite a bit more formally than he was. Steve was wearing a blue plaid button down shirt, tucked into a pair of khaki pants. Dr. Harrison, however, wore black high heels, a white button down blouse that was tucked into a high waist black pencil skirt.

"_Though technically she is supposed to be at work…"_

Secondly, he suddenly felt very aware of his lack of education. Roberta Harrison had a PhD, in what Steve didn't know, but she had one. Maybe even more than one? Steve had barely finished secondary school. He wasn't intimidated, in fact he admired strong women, she just reminded him of his own lack of education.

Steve was snapped out of his thoughts when one of the coffees was nudged toward him.

"I wasn't sure if you drank coffee, but I brought you one as well. I didn't want you to feel left out. I wasn't sure what you'd want, so I played it safe with black," Roberta said.

"Oh, well I drink it, but I don't really require it. My increased metabolism doesn't really let caffeine affect me," Steve replied and began drinking his coffee.

"Oh yes that's right. I should've remembered that." She replied.

"Remember?" Steve inquired.

"When I got the job, and after filling out about a thousand privacy agreements, S.H.I.E.L.D. gave me your file. They thought if I better understood you, I could better cater my lessons to your needs," Roberta explained.

"And what did you learn?" Steve asked.

"That we're going to focus on the Cold War. I only have a six-month contract with S.H.I.E.L.D. so I didn't want to waste any time with pre 1945 history. I figure why teach that part of history to a man who experienced it first hand." She replied.

Steve was mildly impressed. Dr. Harrison was brand new to S.H.I.E.L.D. and yet she seemed totally at ease with the concept of _the man out of time_.

"_I suppose after what happened in New York nothing would surprise most people anymore,"_ Steve thought.

"So to begin, you're going to check out _We Now Know: Rethinking Cold War History_ by John Lewis Gaddis. I want you begin by reading chapter two… shouldn't you be writing this down?" Roberta questioned.

"Oh gosh, um… I didn't bring anything to…" Steve was embarrassed that he came so unprepared.

He remembered his sketchbook, so he opened it to a fresh page and scribbled down what he could remember. Roberta looked over at his words, and continued on.

"Yes, by John Lewis Gaddis. So I want you to begin with the introduction through to chapter two, here today. If you feel like you can, also read three, seven, and eight. We'll get to them either today or tomorrow. I want to start off a little slowly, just to get an idea on how we're going to pace these lessons."

Once Steve had written down the necessary information he began looking in the stacks but didn't recognize the classification system. Steve walked to the circulation desk to find a happily caffeinated Iverson.

"Iverson, I am having difficulty finding this book," Steve begins, handing him the piece of paper, "I don't understand this system."

"Ah yes, we use the Library of Congress system here, you're likely familiar with the public system. Let me show you," Iverson replied.

Iverson stood from his desk and gave Steve his piece of paper back. Steve followed the librarian, feeling like a child back at school.

"Here you are Steve. The call number is D843.G24 1997. The D is for the subclass History, so you'll likely be in this section quite a bit," Iverson informs him.

Iverson pulls the book from the shelf and hands it to him, and gives him a quick pat on the arm before returning to his post at the circulation desk. Slightly embarrassed Steve returns to his seat with his book.

"Here Steve, I've written down a list of things you'll need. I noticed that you didn't know what to bring today, and that's completely fine. I do suggest you pick this stuff up this afternoon after we're done," Roberta says.

Roberta hands him a piece of paper that has an intimidating long list of items. She notices his eyebrows raise and his eyes grow larger as he scans the list.

"Don't fret, I'm sure S.H.I.E.L.D. will compensate you for this stuff, they are sort of forcing you into all this," She says.

Steve smiles, "You think so?"

"Well you should certainly try. I would," She said while smiling back, but Steve somehow knew she was being very serious. "Now start reading and take notes. When you're done we'll discuss."

After quite some time Steve reached the end of chapter two. It had taken longer than usual because he took a lot of notes. This was his first real introduction to what he missed after the War. He'd been told some things, and caught other bits of information through osmosis. However, this was his first truly educational introduction into what he had slept through.

"First impressions?" Roberta inquired.

"Well, it was very enlightening. It was a lot to take in, but I have to say I thought it was great. It was straight forward but informative," Steve answered.

"Okay, can you give me any examples? I saw you wrote a lot down,"

"Well from this I got the impression that the Cold War was basically inevitable. That the Soviet Union was trying to impose communism by coercion, and that the U.S. was trying to stand up to them to help others," Steve explained.

"So the United States influence was welcomed by other nations but the Soviet Union's was not?" asked Roberta.

Steve was unsure where this was leading, "… According to this, yes."

"Why was American influence better than the Soviet's?" Roberta pressed.

"Because the Soviet's were oppressive," He answered.

"So the United States was acting selflessly?" She questioned him.

"I suppose so,"

"What about when it is stated that: '_Just because Roosevelt wanted the United States to enter the war and to become a world power afterwards does not mean that his actions alone made these things happen_,' from page 35?" She asked.

"Well like it says, his actions alone didn't make those things happen." Steve said.

"But it wasn't without a reason was it? Wasn't without the incentive of something to gain was it? The United States had as much selfishness behind their actions. Both wanted ideological influence, dominance, and power—"

That triggered something in him, and Steve finally lost his temper.

"But you gave me this book! Why would you ask me to read this if you felt this way about it? You're my teacher—"

"Because I want you to think. Yes I am here to educate you. Yes I am your teacher. But I want you to think. To not just accept information blindly because of where the information is coming from. Mr. Gaddis is one of the most well respected Historians, but those with the authority are not always right," Roberta explained.

"Then why am I even here? Why should I even listen to you then?" Steve asked exasperated.

"I'm your qualified tour guide Steve. I want you to question me, question what I teach you, and question what you learn. Never stop questioning. I want you to learn how to think for yourself. That is the purpose of education. Anyone who tells you otherwise has ulterior motives or thinks that he or she already has all the answers. At least that's what I've learned." Roberta explained.

"No disrespect ma'am, but I don't think that this was such a good idea. I appreciate you putting in the time and effort here but I should get going." Steve said as politely as possible.

"Oh dear, back to ma'am and giving up that quickly are we?" Roberta observed.

Steve didn't answer her, but began to collect his brown leather jacket and sketchbook before turning to leave. As he began to walk toward the library doors he heard the clicking of heels following him.

"Steve!" Roberta called after him.

Steve stopped and sighed. _"She's persistent… I'll give her that."_

Steve turned around, prepared for politely decline her services again, but was surprised to see her extending his forgotten coffee out toward him.

"You forgot this, I don't want it to go to waste," She said.

"Oh… thank you ma'am," Steve said.

He waited for a moment to see if she was going to say anything else, but she only gave him a lopsided smile. Steve suddenly felt guilty and embarrassed.

"_I'm acting like a child… When did I become so disrespectful?"_

"Same time tomorrow Dr. Harrison?" Steve finally asked.

"Steve… you don't need to come because you feel obligated to. You should be here because you want to be here, because you want to learn. You'll be wasting our time if you don't want this. I'll be here at 9:00am again, and if you don't come I'll inform S.H.I.E.L.D. and our lessons will be discontinued. If you do come, I'll expect you to stay the duration of the 3 hours and to be prepared. Take today to think it over," Roberta said.

Dr. Harrison was giving him an out, but he wasn't sure if he wanted to take it or not.

"That seems more than fair. Have a good afternoon Dr. Harrison," Steve replied.

"Oh, before you go, take this," Roberta said handing a piece of paper to him. "Here is a quick list of things you'll need if you do decide to continue with our lessons, if you don't already have them."

Steve took the paper and put it in his pocket. He nodded politely before heading toward the library doors again. He made sure to stop and say goodbye to Iverson on his way out. The man smiled and said goodbye as well, but looked almost sad to see him go. As Steve took the elevator back down to ground level he detached his clearance pass from his belt and tucked it away into his pocket. He had decided, just in case, not to return it just yet. He felt the paper inside the same pocket, pulled it out, and took another look.

_ "Oh wow…"_

He had forgotten what had been on it.

Steve stepped out of the elevator and into the lobby and approached a man at the main reception desk.

"Hello sir, may I please use your telephone?"

The man gave Steve an odd look, but nodded and placed the telephone within his reach. These days everyone had a mobile phone, but Steve still refused at this point to purchase one. Steve dialed a familiar number and waited.

"Stark? It's Steve. Are you in New York at Stark Tower? I need some help with something…"

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_If you DID like the chapter please review/follow, if you DIDN'T like the chapter please review/follow. So until then, until then!_


	3. Chapter 3

**Cable Car**

Tony wasn't currently in New York, but he had told him he was sending Steve the next best thing to himself. He had told Steve to go to Stark Tower and wait there, and help would be on the way. Steve was relieved, he needed the help, though he'd prefer even Tony to a complete stranger. Steve entered Stark Tower and approached the reception desk.

"Hello ma'am, my name is Steve Rogers and I am supposed to be meeting someone here?"

"Just one moment please," The receptionist replied and began typing on her computer. "Ah yes, Ms. Potts will be down shortly to see you Captain. Please feel free to have a seat or help yourself to a beverage," She said as she gestured to the bar to the side of the lobby.

"Thank you ma'am," Steve said with a nod.

Steve had enough coffee for one day and decided to sit and wait. Today was arguably the most social interaction he'd had since the battle for New York, which was a troubling realization. Before the military and pre-serum he wasn't the most out-going of guys, but Bucky had always forced him out. When they could afford it they'd go to baseball games, Coney Island, and periodically Bucky would force him on double dates that never lasted terribly long. But now, with Bucky gone, Steve really was alone. He had never really had friends other than Bucky, until he became Captain America. He remembered his men fondly, but they too were now gone. Somehow making friends now just seemed foreign to him, just like everything else.

"Captain Rogers?"

Steve was pulled out of his introspection by the inquiry. He stood up immediately when he realized it was Ms. Potts.

"Yes, but please call me Steve," he requested.

Ms. Potts extended her hand to him, and he shook it. She seemed very polite, and was dressed similarly to how Dr. Harrison had been earlier. Steve would remember today for many reasons, one of them being the day that he always seemed more under dressed than everyone else.

"It is a pleasure to finally meet you Steve. I've heard so much about you. My name is Pepper Potts and I am CEO of Stark Industries." She informed him.

Steve's jaw nearly dropped, but he caught himself from reacting too openly.

"Stark really didn't have to send the CEO of Stark Industries. I am very sorry Ms. Potts, I'm sure you have more important things to do during your workday," Steve apologized.

"Please, call me Pepper. And of course I have time for such a good friend of Tony's. In fact, I've been hoping to meet you. I've already met most of the other Avengers; all that was left was yourself and Thor." She informed him.

"Stark told you about me?" Steve inquired.

Steve hated to admit it, but it felt nice that Stark considered him a friend. However, that didn't change the fact that anything related to the Avengers was classified information that Stark really should not be sharing with people.

"Oh, um yes well "officially" and "on the record" I know nothing about you or the Avengers. But, there was a lot to discuss with Tony after the attack on New York, and I think that S.H.I.E.L.D. could forgive him for sharing certain details with his significant other," Pepper said.

Steve noticed the slight bitter tone she took with the last statement. So, she was Stark's girlfriend? He could only imagine her horror, watching the news during the attack and when Stark flew the nuke into the portal and then when he fell back out.

"Anyway Steve, Tony said you required some assistance. What can I do for you?" Pepper inquired.

"I really don't want to trouble you Pepper, this all seems silly now…" Steve was embarrassed now, having a CEO of a major company helping him run an errand.

"Anything for a friend. Now what could possibly be silly?" Pepper insisted.

Steve pulled the list out his pocket and bashfully handed it to Pepper. Pepper, however, did not seem fazed at all as she smiled encouragingly at him. She unfolded the crumpled paper and scanned it quickly. Her smile broadened considerably.

"Oh Steve, this is absolutely no trouble at all! When do you need these things by?" Pepper asked.

"Ideally by this evening. I don't need them until tomorrow morning but… I have no idea where to even begin finding this stuff, and I still have to learn how to use them," Steve admitted.

"I can take care of that as well. Follow me," Pepper instructed.

Pepper led Steve to the elevator where she swiped her security clearance badge and was granted entrance. The elevator doors closed and a voice came through the audio system.

"Which floor Ms. Potts?"

"J.A.R.V.I.S. we'll be going to the penthouse, thank you." Pepper instructed.

The elevator automatically began to ascend. Pepper noticed the disconcerting look on Steve's face.

"Is everything alright Steve?" Pepper asked.

"Yeah uh, sorry. I was just noticing there are no buttons in this elevator past the 15th floor," Steve said as a means to ask about J.A.R.V.I.S.

"Ah yes, well the first 15 floors are dedicated to Stark Industries and our New York employees. Anything past that belongs to Tony personally and only a select few have clearance access. J.A.R.V.I.S. controls said access," Pepper explained.

"J.A.R.V.I.S.?" Steve inquires further.

"Oh, it stands for Just A Really Very Intelligent System. He is an artificial intelligence system that controls and runs all the internal systems here in the tower. If you ever need anything while you're here, simply ask J.A.R.V.I.S." Pepper explains.

The elevator doors open to an expansive living area. Steve remembers it; it was where Loki finally surrendered to him and the Avengers. It looked a little different now after some reconstruction. It could not appear more opposite to Steve's own apartment. When S.H.I.E.L.D. had provided him with an apartment, they also took to furnishing it modestly, in pieces that weren't too overly foreign to him. Styles of furniture he recognized from his own time, which he appreciated because at least while at home he could feel somewhat normal. However, as Steve walked into Stark's penthouse he felt very out of place.

Pepper gestured for him to take a seat on one of the couches, while she walked over to the bar.

"Can I get you anything Steve?" Pepper called from behind the bar.

"Just water, thank you." He replied.

Pepper returned and handed him a glass of water, and Steve noticed it had bubbles in it. Steve took a tentative sip, and while it tasted fine the bubbles were a little odd.

"_Leave it to Stark to not even have normal water…"_ Steve mused.

Pepper took a seat across from Steve and took the tablet that had been sitting on the coffee table. She began typing on it quickly, ignoring her own drink.

"J.A.R.V.I.S. I just input a list of things that Steve will be requiring. Could you please have someone from HR prepare them and bring them up for us? Also, Steve is going to require tutorials that I was hoping you could provide?" Pepper asked.

"Yes Ms. Potts of course. HR has just been informed. Is there anything else?" asked J.A.R.V.I.S.

"Yes, this could take a little while so please have some food delivered from that Italian place I like," Pepper requested.

"Of course, I'll let you know the estimated delivery time," was the reply.

"You do like Italian right? I should've asked first, I'm sorry," Pepper apologized.

"Italian is just fine, thank you," Steve said.

Just then the elevator opened and a man in a suit came through, and he was carrying a box. He walked toward them and placed it on the coffee table.

"Hello Ms. Potts, would you please check to make sure we haven't forgotten anything?" The man asked.

Pepper took the lid off and began taking the items out, placing them on the coffee table.

"Everything looks in order. All of these have been set up and are operational on Mr. Stark's personal network?" Pepper asked.

"Yes Ms. Potts."

"Thank you very much for bringing these up so quickly, you can go," Pepper said.

The man nodded, turned, and left, and that was when Steve noticed that there were items on the table that weren't on his list. He reached out and picked up the cell phone off the table.

"Ah yes, I hope you don't mind but I took the liberty. Tony has complained that you're a difficult man to reach because you don't have one. You'll be connected through our network," Pepper explained.

"Our network?" Steve questioned.

"Yes, I didn't think it was secure for you to acquire these through normal venues. We can't have Captain America using common everyday machinery for security reasons, and we won't monitor you like S.H.I.E.L.D." She explained.

"Pepper, I really appreciate this and all but… I don't think I can afford all of this. I was barely going to be able to afford the things on the original list," Steve admitted.

"All of this is courtesy of Stark Industries, and don't argue. Tony and I are happy to help. Though I am curious, if I may ask, as to why you are suddenly interested in catching up with 21st century technology?" she asked.

Steve sighed, "I'd probably still be avoiding it if I could. But it seems increasingly more difficult as time goes on. Now that S.H.I.E.L.D. has given me a History tutor, she gave me that list saying I'd need these things to continue with lessons, though I'm not entirely sure why."

"History tutor?" Pepper asked.

"Yeah," Steve sighed and sat forward leaning his elbows on his knees. "Fury wants to catch me up to speed. I suspect he doesn't want me wasting away in Brooklyn. The super serum isn't useful to S.H.I.E.L.D. if I'm not useful… I don't see the harm really. I never really had the opportunity to get a proper education, with my background and where I was headed before the serum it didn't seem to make sense at the time," Steve explained.

"A free education would be a terrible thing to waste. Who is your tutor? A member of S.H.I.E.L.D.?" She asked

"No, she's not with S.H.I.E.L.D. at least that is what Fury and Dr. Harrison have said," Steve replied.

"Do you believe she's with S.H.I.E.L.D.?" She asked.

"I don't think so… she wasn't what I was expecting, from S.H.I.E.L.D. and just as a teacher in general. I thought I was going to just get lectured at but…" Steve trailed off.

"Yes…?"

Steve paused, unsure of how to explain what had happened today. Heck, he was still trying to process it himself.

"She asked me to think," Steve actually smiles a bit at the memory, "She asked me to question her, to question everything really… a far cry from my military days."

"Ms. Potts dinner is on its way from the lobby to the penthouse," J.A.R.V.I.S. informed them.

"Thank you J.A.R.V.I.S." Pepper replied.

The elevator opened and Pepper went to retrieve their dinner. She set up place settings at the bar and motioned for Steve to join her.

"Well Steve, this seems like a beneficial situation for you really. I think it's a wonderful idea. Who knows what it could lead to," Pepper said while serving him a plate of Linguine Amatriciana.

"Lead to?" Steve repeated.

"Yes, an education could open doors for you to other possible careers. I know that you're not an official member of S.H.I.E.L.D. so really with an education you could do just about anything," She clarified.

Steve hadn't thought of it that way. He had only ever perceived this as a means to groom him even more for S.H.I.E.L.D. Steve had never really considered a career outside of the military or S.H.I.E.L.D.

"I'll have to keep that in mind," Steve said with a polite smile.

"Well Steve, lets have dinner and then J.A.R.V.I.S. can get you acquainted with your new laptop and cell phone," Pepper said.

Steve nodded and began to eat. Meeting Pepper was definitely a good thing. He was beginning to feel a little bit better about all this now.

* * *

_If you **did** like the chapter please review and follow! If you **didn't** like the chapter please review and follow! This isn't as long as I had promised but the next chapter should be up more quickly. So until then, until then._


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